Marco’s perfects the pizza

Pizza is one of those American indulgences that is frightfully ubiquitous. Go to the grocery store, get a frozen pizza. Go to the corner cafe, get an ooey-gooey, doughy mess. Go to the hole–in–the–wall pizzeria run by mob bosses, get glistening pepperoni on a crust that neatly folds in half. Heck, you can even go to a gas station and get a pizza – right next to the perpetually rolling hot dogs, beside the three–day–old coffee.

While most of the pizza we encounter is, by all consent, sub–par, it’s also been created and recreated so many times it’s hard to find a variety that stands out from the crowd. Something that’s not delivery, not DiGiorno’s – a pie you can only find one place in town.

For my palate, that place has to be Marco’s. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy the work of Proto’s, Lucky Pie, and the like, but there’s something about Marco’s that reminds me of the Italy I knew growing up.

It turns out, that “something” is a bit more of the true flavors of Italy than I might have imagined. Owners Mark and Kristy Dym – lovers of authentic Neapolitan pizza – decided that opening a pizza shop should involve more than just slinging together dough, sauce, cheese, and stale toppings. For them, it meant making the dough from scratch, using Italian Caputo flour, simmering housemade tomato sauce showcasing world-famous San Marzano tomatoes, and picking ingredients that are fresh, local, and true to the combinations you’d like find in a Naples pizzeria. In fact, the Dyms went so far as to bring trained pizzaiolos (pizza-makers) on board, trained in the Old World. And if that weren’t enough, they’ve earned the sought-after stamp of approval from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), which affirms true Neapolitan pizza-making practices. To add a feather to their cap, Marco’s is the only pizzeria in the entire state with this distinction.

But for many, all that is fluff unless the pizza lives up to the hype. And oh boy, does it. Thin-crust beauties with crusty bubbles lining the edge fly to tables across the dining room and patio with an aura that’s palpable and a smell that’s intoxicating. When the individual pies land on the table, you can see the outline of beautifully melted mozzarella overlapping underneath ingredients like pancetta, prosciutto di Parma, arugula, truffle oil, pistachio cream – the list goes on and on.

For those who love the idea of flavor, but aren’t so enamored of Italian ingredients, Marco’s has wisely divided the menu into Neapolitan pies and American-style pies. The crust is the same for both – chewy, rich, and ever so slightly yeasty – but the toppings differ. For Italian, think combos like fresh ricotta, Genoa salami, prosciutto cotto, artichokes, and tomato sauce (the Sicilia); for American, think more hearty Italian-American treats like meatballs, roasted red pepper, sweet Italian sausage, and button mushrooms. They’re both likely to please your palate.

There are a couple more things that elevate the Marco’s experience. First, dig the breakfast pies, sporting many of the same ingredients as the pizzas found on the lunch and dinner menu, but coupled with fried eggs. The Chelsea, offering up a sea of arugula and bright cherry tomatoes, is a particular favorite of mine. Next, keep in mind that pizza doesn’t need to stop at savory. Proving that point with gusto is the Nutella variety, with a puffy, bubbly dough stuffed with Nutella and topped with powdered sugar. Even if you’re sated after your first pie, get this one to go.

The only disappointment I had in my experience at Marco’s was the beer – a scant few Colorado selections next to the usual suspects. It’s made up for with a comfortable wine list, but even so, if the pizzeria is going to such lengths to offer both American and Italian flavors on the food menu, why not give Coloradans what they love to pair it with? Namely, a healthy dose of craft beer.

The most curious and unexpected treat at Marco’s, however, goes beyond the realm of pizza. The house lemoncello chicken wings are their own refreshing treat (enjoyed appropriately on the flower-studded back patio). The fresh wings are marinated in the citrusy libation for 48 hours, rubbed with herbs, then fired in the oven. Skeptics beware: a to-go box of these kicks your Monday night football up at least 10 notches. And it’s healthier than your standard fried wing treatment.